John C. “Jake” Hefner, 69, of Union, died Sept. 12, 2007, at the Grande Ronde Hospital.
A celebration of life will be held Friday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. at Daniels Chapel of the Valley. Private burial will be in the Union Cemetery.
Jake was born Dec. 23, 1937, to Howard and Wilma (Starnes) Hefner in Hickory, N.C. The family moved to Oregon when he was 12. He attended schools in Pilot Rock and on Jan. 4, 1969, he married Dianne Bartsch in Pendleton. They ranched at Medical Springs until 1976 when they moved to Union.
Jake loved the Grande Ronde Valley and the four seasons that are experienced here. He was an extremely active member of the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show and was president in 1992-93 and was supervisor of the race track.
He was also a member of the Cattleman’s Association. He earned the title of Cattleman of the Year in 1998.
He was an honest, caring father and husband who always took time to listen when people talked. He was great with older people and he enjoyed his coffee time with his buddies. He loved the outdoors, hunting, horses, and sitting on his patio watching the world around him. He could often be found riding his four-wheeler down the road with his dog Bingo.
Survivors include his wife, Dianne of Union; children, Kathy and Kelly McDowell of La Grande, John and JoAnn Hefner of Union, Jeff McClaskey of Touchet, Wash., and Wendy and Rob Langford of Union; sisters, Shirley Reeves of Hickory, N.C., Adalee Robins of Hickory, N.C., Barbara Ann Snyder of Pendleton and Betty Sue of Hickory, N.C.; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Rebecca Hefner.
Those who wish may make contributions in memory of Jake to the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in care of Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 7th St., La Grande, OR 97850.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, September 18, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor